Treatments A-Z

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Treatments A-Z

Information on all of the Pre-Treatments and Treatments available

A | 
B | 
C | 
D | 
E | 
F | 
G | 
H | 
I | 
J | 
K | 
L | 
M | 
N | 
O | 
P | 
Q | 
R | 
S | 
T | 
U | 
V | 
W | 
X | 
Y | 
Z

B

Brachytherapy

 In Brachytherapy radiation sources are placed directly into the body.

C

Chemotherapy

 Chemotherapy is the use of drugs, usually given intravenously or by mouth that travel around the whole body to kill cancer cells.

D

Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Radiotherapy

 Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Radiotherapy is external beam radiotherapy that is delivered while the breath is held in comfortable inspiration. It is most commonly used when treating breast cancers.

Dental Review

 If a patient is going to require radiotherapy to the mouth or neck region, it may be necessary to be reviewed by a specialist dentist.

E

External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT)

 External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) refers to radiation directed at you from outside the body. This can be delivered in a number of different ways, including via a Linear Accelerator (Linac), Cobalt or Orthovoltage units.

H

Hormone Therapy

 Some cancers are hormone-sensitive, which means they tend to grow and divide more rapidly when high levels of particular hormones are present in the body.

I

Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)

 Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) uses imaging with x-ray or CT during a course of radiation.

Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)

 Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is a form of external beam radiotherapy that uses linear accelerators to deliver multiple small radiation beams to a tumour.

M

Mould Room

 Some patients having radiotherapy will need an individualised immobilisation device made to allow them to remain as still as possible during simulation and treatment.

O

Orthovoltage Therapy

 Orthovoltage or contact therapy uses low-energy x-rays to treat superficial skin cancers.

P

Pathology Tests

 To prepare for radiotherapy - and indeed during a patient's radiotherapy/chemotherapy treatment - it may be necessary to take blood and other specimens.

R

Radioisotope Therapy

 This therapy uses radiopharmaceuticals - radioactive elements combined with a drug or naturally occurring agent - that deliver therapeutic doses of radiation.

Radiotherapy Planning

 Once the CT is carried out, it is sent electronically to the planning department. The areas to be treated and the organs to be protected are outlined on the CT and a customised plan is created for the patient.

S

Simulation/CT

 For precise planning of their radiotherapy, almost all patients require simulation. This involves the use of imaging in the form of x-ray or CT scanning.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)

 Stereotactic body radiotherapy is a specialised type of external beam radiotherapy that allows the delivery of high doses of radiation to small tumours, while minimising the dose received by the surrounding normal tissues. It is used most frequently to treat early lung cancers.

Surgery

 The treatment of many types of cancer often involves an operation.

T

Targeted Therapy

 Targeted therapies are drugs that block the growth of tumours by acting on specific molecules that cause cancer cells to grow and divide rapidly.

V

Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) / RapidArcTM

 Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) is a newer form of IMRT that delivers external beam radiotherapy through a continually rotating radiation source that encircles the patient.